Device and method for controlling backlight light sources

1 . A display device, comprising:

a plurality of light sources configured to illuminate a display panel comprising a plurality of regions;

a plurality of display driver integrated circuits (DDICs), wherein each of the plurality of DDICs is configured to:

generate backlighting data for a respective region of the plurality of regions, wherein the backlighting data is indicative of luminance levels of respective light sources, of the plurality of light sources, which correspond to the respective region,

store ordering information indicative of an order for outputting the backlighting data for the respective region, wherein the ordering information comprises sequence numbers associated with respective light sources, wherein a respective sequence number for a respective light source specifies the order in which the backlighting data associated with the respective light source is to be transferred to a light source driver, and

output the backlighting data for the respective region based on the ordering information and a backlighting data synchronization signal; and

the light source driver, wherein the light source driver is configured to drive the plurality of light sources based on the backlighting data for the plurality of regions output from the plurality of DDICs;

wherein each of the plurality of DDICs comprises:

an ordering information memory configured to store the sequence numbers for the respective light sources; and

an address memory configured to store addresses of the sequence numbers in the ordering information memory, and

wherein each of the plurality of DDICs is configured to use the stored addresses stored in the address memory to retrieve the sequence numbers from the ordering information memory.

2 . The display device of claim 1 ,

wherein outputting the backlighting data based on the ordering information comprises outputting the backlighting data for a first light source in response to matching of a count of assertions of the backlighting data synchronization signal with a first sequence number associated with the first light source.

3 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of DDICs are coupled in series to transfer the backlighting data generated by the plurality of DDICs to the light source driver.

4 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein generating the backlighting data is based on image data for the respective region of the plurality of regions of the display panel.

5 . The display device of claim 4 , further comprising a host configured to provide each of the plurality of DDICs with the image data for a respective region of the plurality of regions such that the image data provided to one of the plurality of DDICs is not provided to a remainder of the plurality of DDICs.

6 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the address memory is further configured to output a selected address of the stored addresses,

wherein the ordering information memory is further configured to output a selected sequence number of the sequence numbers indicated by the selected address of the stored addresses, and

wherein outputting the backlighting data based on the ordering information comprises outputting the backlighting data for a first light source in response to matching of a count of assertions of the backlighting data synchronization signal with the selected sequence number.

7 . The display device of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of DDICs is further configured to update the selected address output from the address memory in response to the matching.

8 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein a first slave DDIC of the plurality of DDICs is configured to send the backlighting data generated by the first slave DDIC to the light source driver via a master DDIC of the plurality of DDICs.

9 . The display device of claim 8 , wherein a second slave DDIC of the plurality of DDICs is configured to send the backlighting data generated by the second slave DDIC to the light source driver via the first slave DDIC and the master DDIC.

10 . A display driver integrated circuit, comprising:

a drive circuit configured to drive a region of a display panel having a plurality of regions;

a local dimming processing circuit configured to generate backlighting data for the region of the display panel, wherein the backlighting data is indicative of luminance levels of respective light sources corresponding to the region of the display panel; and

a backlighting data transfer circuit configured to:

store ordering information indicative of an order for outputting the backlighting data, wherein the ordering information comprises sequence numbers associated with respective light sources, wherein a respective sequence number for a respective light source specifies the order in which the backlighting data associated with the respective light source is to be transferred to a light source driver,

receive a backlighting data synchronization signal from an entity external to the display driver integrated circuit, and

output the backlighting data based on the ordering information and the backlighting data synchronization signal to control the luminance levels of the respective light sources;

wherein the backlighting data transfer circuit further comprises:

an ordering information memory configured to store the sequence numbers for the respective light sources; and

an address memory configured to store addresses of the sequence numbers in the ordering information memory, and

wherein the backlighting data transfer circuit is configured to use the stored addresses stored in the address memory to retrieve the sequence numbers from the ordering information memory.

11 . The display driver integrated circuit of claim 10 , wherein generating the backlighting data is based on image data for the region of the display panel.

12 . The display driver integrated circuit of claim 10 ,

wherein outputting the backlighting data based on the ordering information comprises outputting the backlighting data for a first light source in response to matching of a count of assertions of the backlighting data synchronization signal with a first sequence number associated with the first light source.

13 . The display driver integrated circuit of claim 10 , wherein the address memory is further configured to output a selected address of the stored addresses,

wherein the ordering information memory is further configured to output a selected sequence number of the sequence numbers indicated by the selected address of the stored addresses, and

wherein outputting the backlighting data based on the ordering information comprises outputting the backlighting data for a first light source in response to matching of a count of assertions of the backlighting data synchronization signal with the selected sequence number.

14 . A method, comprising:

illuminating a display panel with a plurality of light sources, the display panel comprising a plurality of regions;

generating, by each display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) of a plurality of DDICs, backlighting data for a respective region of the plurality of regions, wherein the backlighting data for the respective region is indicative of luminance levels of respective light sources, of the plurality of light sources, which correspond to the respective region;

storing, by each of the plurality of DDICs, ordering information indicative of an order for outputting the backlighting data generated by the respective DDIC, wherein the ordering information comprises sequence numbers associated with respective light sources, wherein a respective sequence number for a respective light source specifies the order in which the backlighting data associated with the respective light source is to be transferred to a light source driver;

outputting, by each of the plurality of DDICs, the backlighting data generated by the respective DDIC based on the ordering information and a backlighting data synchronization signal; and

driving the plurality of light sources based on the backlighting data for the plurality of regions output from the plurality of DDICs:

wherein the method further comprises:

storing the sequence numbers for the respective light sources in an ordering information memory of each of the plurality of DDICs;

storing, by an address memory of each of the plurality of DDICs, addresses of the sequence numbers in the ordering information memory; and

retrieving the sequence numbers from the ordering information memory using the stored addresses in each of the plurality of DDICs.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein generating the backlighting data for a respective region is based on image data for the respective region.

16 . The method of claim 14 ,

wherein outputting the backlighting data based on the ordering information comprises outputting the backlighting data for a first light source in response to matching a count of assertions of the backlighting data synchronization signal with a first sequence number associated with the first light source.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

outputting, by the address memory, a selected address of the stored addresses from the address memory; and

outputting, by the ordering information memory, a selected sequence number of the sequence numbers indicated by the selected address of the stored addresses from the ordering information memory,

wherein outputting the backlighting data based on the ordering information comprises outputting the backlighting data for a first light source in response to matching of a count of assertions of the backlighting data synchronization signal with the selected sequence number.